Dec. 9, 2003 – It's not too early to sign up for a seminar held by the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John.
"The slots fill up fast and there's limited space in the seminars," program manager Emily Burton said.
As it has for the past several years, the organization offers an extensive list of seminar choices. Burton said that they give participants an opportunity to learn more about the island's culture and natural resources. Additionally, some of the seminars give participants a chance to learn new skills.
All the money raised through the seminars goes to fund projects at the national park.
Children under 12 pay half the posted price for all seminars except those involving boat trips.
The Friends group accepts payment by MasterCard, Visa and American Express.
To sign up, call 779-4940.
The series kicks off in January and concludes in April.
Here's the list:
• Tropical Photography Workshop, Jan. 10 and April 14, both 8 a.m. to noon. Professional photographer Steve Simonsen teaches you how to take professional quality photos at a variety of St. John locations. Meet at the park Visitor Center. Bring up to four rolls of film, your camera manual, extra batteries, a snack and drinking water.
Maximum group size 12.
$35 for Friends members and $40 for nonmembers, including transportation.
• Nature Writing Workshop, 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 17. Author Cristina Kessler will show you how to get started in the freelance writing world. Meet at the Trunk Bay picnic area with a notebook and pen.
Maximum group size 12.
$35 for members and $40 for nonmembers.
• Historical Sugarworks Stroll, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 21. St. John Historical Society President Chuck Pishko takes you on an historical tour of Caneel Bay Resort. Meet at the Caneel Bay parking lot.
Maximum group size 20.
$20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Archaeology Boat Trip, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 24. Circumnavigate St. John with park archaeologist Ken Wild as he shares interesting archaeological discoveries made in a number of bays. Meet at the park Visitors Center boat dock. Bring lunch, water, sunscreen, and a hat.
Maximum group size 18.
$60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Make Genuine Coconut Oil, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 28. Park ranger Deanna Somerville will demonstrate how to make coconut oil. Meet at the Maho Bay Beach Pavilion with lunch, a hammer and a grater.
Maximum group size 10.
$25 for members and $30 for nonmembers.
• Explore the Ecosystems of Lameshur and Europa Bays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 31. Botanist and plant ecologist Gary Ray explores the native plants and wildlife from the Lameshur mangroves to the Europa Bay coastline. Finish the day with lunch at the V.I. Environmental Resource Station. Meet at Lameshur Bay Beach. Carpooling from Cruz Bay can be arranged. Bring binoculars if you have them, drinking water, sunscreen and bug repellent.
Maximum group size 20.
$25 for members and $30 for nonmembers, including lunch.
• Bird Watching Tour, 7 to 11 a.m., Feb. 7. Explore Trunk, Cinnamon and Francis Bays to search for resident and migratory birds with park ranger and Audubon Society of the Virgin Islands president Laurel Brannick-Trager. Meet at the Cruz Bay taxi area. St. Thomas residents must take the 6:30 a.m. ferry. Bring binoculars if you have them, insect repellent and drinking water.
Maximum group size 25.
$30 for members and $35 for nonmembers, including transportation.
• Discovering Historic Little Reef Bay, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 14. Explore the ruins of a modest cotton and livestock plantation with historian David Knight. The hike involves some rock climbing. Meet at Oyen’s Point at end of Fish Bay Road. Wear hiking shoes and bring a snack, drinking water, sunscreen and a sunhat.
Maximum group size 35.
$20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Marine Biology Sailing Trip, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 15. Sail aboard the catamaran Adventure with two to three stops at snorkel spots. Park marine biologist Jeff Miller will be your guide. Meet at the park Visitor Center boat dock. Bring snorkel gear, sunscreen, lunch and drinking water.
Maximum group size 40.
$60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• The East End Experience: A Microcosm of our Changing World, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 21. Economist Bernie Kemp and educator, historian, author and East End resident Guy Benjamin discuss how changes in technology and economic conditions led to East End's decline and ultimate demise as a community. Meet at Vie's Snack Shack. Carpooling from Cruz Bay is available.
Maximum group size 15.
$25 for members and $30 for nonmembers.
• Stars and their Stories, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 21. Join astro-mythologist Kelley Hunter as she guides you through the constellations and various myths of the night sky. Meet at the Peace Hill parking lot. Bring a flashlight, binoculars if you have them and a blanket.
Maximum group size 30.
$20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Afro-Caribbean Drumming Workshop, noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 25. Master drummer Eddie Bruce will demonstrate basic entertainment and ritual drumming techniques of West African and Afro-Caribbean cultures. Meet at the Catherineberg Ruins. Bring a drum if you have one.
Maximum group size 25.
$20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• St. John Architecture, March 3 and April 17, both 9 a.m. to noon. Visit several architecturally interesting sights with architect Glen Speer. Meet at the Sun Dog Café in Mongoose Junction to carpool.
Maximum group size 20.
$20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Coastal Ecology, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 6. Circumnavigate St. John on the Sadie Sea with Rafe Boulon, the park's chief of resource management. The trip includes snorkeling, wading and floating in the coast's diverse habitats. Meet at the park Visitor Center boat dock. Bring lunch, drinking water, wading shoes and snorkel gear.
Maximum group size 25.
$60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Traditional West Indian Cooking, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 13. Learn how to prepare traditional West Indian whelk dishes with park ranger Denise Georges. Meet at the Annaberg Plantation cookhouse.
Maximum group size 10.
$30 for members and $35 for nonmembers.
• Leinster Bay: A Piece of Ireland in the Danish West Indies, 9 to 11 a.m. March 17. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with historian David Knight on a visit to the ruins of James Murphy’s Leinster Bay and Annaberg plantations. Meet at the Annaberg parking lot. Bring drinking water and wear hiking shoes.
Maximum group size 25.
$20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Kayak Hurricane Hole, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 20. Explore Coral Reef National Monument by kayak with park fisheries biologist Rob Waara. The trip includes snorkeling. Meet at Skinny Legs Restaurant in Coral Bay. Bring drinking water, snorkel gear and sunscreen.
Maximum group size 12.
$60 for members and $70 for nonmembers, including lunch.
• Coral Reef Research, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 27. Join U.S. Geological Survey ecologist Caroline Rogers on a snorkel trip through monitored sites of corals that may be listed as endangered species. Not recommended for novice snorkelers. Meet at the Caneel Bay boat dock. Bring lunch, drinking water, snorkel gear, hat and sunscreen.
Maximum group size 15.
$60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Introduction to Bush Medicine, 3 to 5 p.m. April 3. Herbalist Eulita Jacobs will talk about medicinal plants on St. John. Meet at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Cruz Bay.
Maximum group size 15.
$20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Taino Pottery Pit Firing Workshop, a two-day seminar that meets April 5 from 9 a.m. to noon and April 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. St. John artist Gail Van de Bogurt and park archaeologist Ken Wild will show you how to create Taino-style ceramics. Meet at the Cinnamon Bay archaeology lab, loc
ated at the beach. Bring clothes you can get dirty, a snack and drinking water.
Maximum group size 15.
$60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Turtle Identification and Monitoring, 9 a.m. to noon April 10. Park biologist Thomas Kelley will discuss the biology and nesting behaviors of leatherback, hawksbill and green sea turtles. This seminar is also an effort to recruit volunteers to monitor turtle nests in the park from July to December. Meet at the park maintenance building conference room. Bring drinking water, a hat and sunscreen.
Maximum group size 20.
$20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Marine Biology Sailing Trip, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 18. Go sailing aboard the Allura with a park ranger. The trip includes two or three snorkeling stops. Meet at the park Visitor Center boat dock. Bring snorkel gear, sunscreen, drinking water and lunch. Maximum group size eight.
$60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Snorkel the Six Ecosystems of Scott Bay, 9 a.m. to noon April 25. Caneel Bay Resort’s chief snorkologist, Lucy Portlock, will explain about the various marine species that live in Scott Bay. Meet at the Caneel Bay Resort shop. Bring snorkel gear, a snack and drinking water.
Maximum group size eight.
$25 for members and $30 for nonmembers.
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